Everyone arrived at the shipwreck site.
A large number of ships had run aground on the reef, their skeletal remains jutting out of the water. Some had completely sunk to the ocean floor.
"There are so many wrecked ships here."
"Some of them crashed here, while others drifted in. Because of the unique terrain, wreckage accumulates."
"That means there must be all kinds of treasures on these ships."
"Let's go find them."
Excitement flickered across the faces of the examinees. Adventure and treasure—these were the very things that drove them to become Hunters.
"Go, go, go!"
Kaizen, however, was the slowest among them. Ordinary treasures didn't interest him in the slightest. Unless something was connected to Nen, he didn't care.
Unlike the other examinees, he also had no concerns about food or water.
"Kaizen."
A familiar figure approached him—Hisoka.
"Want to make a deal?"
"Huh?"
"Have you heard of the Phantom Troupe?"
"Of course."
Kaizen knew them well. In the original story, they were a major villainous group, infamous yet charismatic, and they had a dedicated following. Naturally, he was aware of them.
After coming to this world, Kaizen had even traveled to Meteor City and encountered members of the Phantom Troupe. However, he had done so using the reading tools provided by the Elders, meaning the Troupe had no idea that he had been watching them.
He had briefly crossed paths with Shalnark on the airship and later observed their attack on the Kurta Clan. He had even cooperated with Machi once while fighting monsters.
"There's some information about you within the Phantom Troupe, Kaizen. If you do me a favor, I'll share it with you."
"Information on me?"
"That's right."
"Not interested."
Hisoka's expression stiffened.
"Why not? You're being targeted by the Phantom Troupe. Don't you want to know why? Don't you want to find out what they plan to do to you?"
"Before we get to that, shouldn't you first explain your relationship with the Troupe?"
Hisoka narrowed his eyes slightly. "I'm a member of the Phantom Troupe—No. 4."
"However, I'm not really one of them. I only joined for one reason: I want to fight Chrollo when he's alone."
A grin spread across Hisoka's face, and his tongue flicked out to lick his lips.
"Just thinking about fighting him gets me excited. I don't know if you understand that feeling, but that's exactly what I live for."
"The problem is, he's rarely alone. He usually moves with others. That's why I need someone to help create an opportunity."
"You're my best bet, Kaizen. The Phantom Troupe is after you, and I'm after Chrollo. We have a common enemy. So, what do you say? Want to team up?"
Kaizen didn't answer immediately. He was thinking.
Being targeted by the Phantom Troupe? That was unexpected.
He knew the general plot of this world, but what he knew was a timeline without him in it. His presence alone had already caused countless butterfly effects.
The Kingdom of Taris, the Kingdom of Fiora, the United States of Saherta—he had influenced all these places, though they weren't part of the main storyline. However, the changes were evident in Heavens Arena and the criminal underworld.
"Is it because of my past trip to Meteor City?"
"Unlikely. Back then, the Phantom Troupe hadn't even fully formed. The true powers of Meteor City were still the Elders and the Wild Beasts."
"The Kute Gang had heavily damaged the Elders and the Wild Beasts, which allowed the Phantom Troupe to rise quickly. Otherwise, they would have been crushed."
"So, is it because of the Kurta Clan massacre?"
"Or maybe my brief cooperation with Machi?"
"No, that doesn't make sense. We never had a conflict. Even with the Troupe's brutal nature, they wouldn't come after me over that."
"As for Sumas, even Kakin and Mimbo don't know about it, so it's even less likely the Phantom Troupe would."
"Meteor City is the weakest of the three major forces. If they had known about Sumas, I would've been targeted by much bigger players long before now."
"Could it be because Uncle Silva killed their former No. 8?"
"Even less likely. For one, the Phantom Troupe knows I'm connected to Uncle Silva, but he has plenty of sons. Why would they target his nephew instead?"
Kaizen couldn't figure it out.
He turned to Hisoka. "How do you want to cooperate?"
Hisoka's grin widened. "Just wait for the right moment. When the time comes, I'll let you know. All I need is for you to keep one or two Troupe members occupied. With your strength, that won't be a problem."
"Among them, only a handful can match us."
Kaizen didn't agree immediately. "Let me think about it."
"Fine. Take your time. Let me know whenever you decide."
Hisoka vanished, reappearing on the deck of a rotting ship.
Kaizen watched him go, then turned his gaze toward the distant horizon. "The Phantom Troupe..."
Years ago, he had observed them from the shadows. Most of their members had been around B-rank back then, and given their ages, very few would have made significant improvements since.
"Most of them should still be B-rank."
"I can use Shizuku as a reference."
"In the original story, Shizuku was a low-tier member of the Troupe, but even she was quite skilled. The Shizuku of this world should be at least as strong."
"My Nen skills come from the same lineage as the Zoldycks."
"And with my access to ample resources, there's no reason I can't maximize my potential."
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